Ethics of genetic engineering

[Birdjaguar]

That's pretty much what does happen for most people in the West now, I'd say. Most deaths are DNA generated one way or another.

Well, I would accept a more concerted effort to build the dying process into more systematically into our genes so it moves at predictable and appropriate pace.

 

[Borachio]

You don't think it's predictable now? You and I are experiencing this process right now, aren't we? As far as I can tell, everything's going to plan. Unfortunately.

 

[Lights]

Most DNA generated deaths are caused because DNA is destroyed. Everytime your cells divide, DNA shortens, when you are older your DNA has shortened enough to reach the part that contains information for proteins. This would be solved if we had an enzyme that repaired/restored DNA lost. We don't have it (but it exists). People are programmed to die.

 

[Borachio]

I'm not sure that we're programmed to die exactly. It's more like we're not programmed to live indefinitely; because evolution hasn't taken us down that path.

Other species - isn't there a kind of clam? and, of course, trees - do seem programmed to live indefinitely.

But yeah. Telomerase. Or something. That's not quite the link I was looking for. But nevermind.

 

[Lights]

Yes, that's why I rectified instead of humanity I edited and said people. People will die, but the humans will remain.
Of course there are other factors that may cause "natural death". Superoxides may be one of them. (Never breathe 100% oxygen, it's toxic.)

 

[sophie]

http://io9.com/dogs-exploit-the-parent-child-bonding-mechanism-to-make-1698296261

I thought about reading that article, but then I found this:

and...what were we talking about again?

 

[Kozmos]

I feel like that dog is my lost brother or something. I did the same exact thing for years when faced with a Monday.

 

[Perfection]

We should modify future generations for advanced herbicide resistance so we can use stronger chemicals to keep our lawns weed free.

 

[Farm Boy]

Lack of imagination. Resistance is step one. Production is step two.

 

[El_Machinae]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/human-embryo-editing-experimental-1st-ignites-ethical-furor-1.3046164

Biologists in China reported carrying out the first experiment to alter the DNA of human embryos, igniting an outcry from scientists who warn against altering the human genome in a way that could last for generations.

lead author Junjiu Huang of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou said both Nature and Science had rejected the paper, partly for ethical reasons.

The controversial technique is called CRISPR/Cas9, and represents a biological version of a word-processing program's "find and replace" function. Scientists introduce enzymes that first bind to a mutated gene, such as one associated with disease, and then replace or repair it.

PS: Watch for CRISPR. It is commonly touted as being very revolutionary.